ANAPLASMOSIS
Anaplasmosis in Cattle: Symptoms, Transmission, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention Anaplasmosis is an important blood-borne disease of cattle, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions where ticks are common. In cattle, clinical disease is mainly caused by the bacterium Anaplasma marginale, which infects red blood cells and can cause severe anaemia, weakness, jaundice, loss of production and, in serious cases, death. The disease is especially important because infected cattle that survive can remain carriers for life, providing a potential source of infection for other cattle. What Causes Anaplasmosis? Bovine anaplasmosis is primarily caused by Anaplasma marginale. The organism lives inside red blood cells. When examined under a microscope using an appropriate blood stain, it appears as small, dark-staining bodies usually located near the margin of the red blood cell. Unlike babesiosis, anaplasmosis does not normally cause haemoglobinuria—the characteristic “red urine” sometime...